Antislip device for crutch-tips.



T. J. LE CRAS.

ANTISLIR DEVICE FOR CRUTCH TIPS. APPLlCATiON FiLED JAN.14. 1918.

1,276,231, Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

JNVE/VTUR THOMAS 3'. LE CRAS, 0F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA ANTISLIP DEVICE FOR GR'UTCH-TIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Application filed January 14, 1918. Serial No. 211,866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. Ln CRAS of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antislip Devices for Grutch-T1ps, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to attachments to crutch tips for preventing slipping, and. my object is to devise a cheap construction for that purpose which is easily applied and which, while perfectly effective, Wlll not damage floors or carpets.

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawmgs in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete crutch with its tip provided with my anti-v sli device;

'g. 2 a side elevation on a larger scale showing the tip of a crutch provided with my attachment; and

Fig. 3 a plan view of the underor thread side of the same.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

This device is particularly adapted for use with rubber cushion tips such as indicated by the reference numeral 1 in the drawings. These cushion tips are sleeved on the lower end of a crutch, and the tread portion is usually of somewhat greater diameter than the cylindrical portion embracing the end of the crutch.

My attachment comprises a plurality of movably connected links located under the tread surface of the tip. The arrangement is preferably as follows. A ring 2 is formed with .a plurality of tread contacts adapted to frictionally engage the surface on which the tip is used. Preferably the ring is formed of a piece of chain, as no matter in what position the links lie such contacts are provided. To this ring are secured flexible connecting members 3, preferably chains, which are preferably equidistant from one another and extend radially from a common center. extend around up over the rim of the tread portion of the crutch tip and are suitably connected with a fasteningband 4:, which is se- These flexible connecting members cured around any suitable part of less diameter than the tread portion of the crutch tip. Preferably the band is located immediately above the crutch tip around the end of the crutch itself. This fastening band may be a piece of chain as shown. As the device is readily placed in position owing to the flexibility of the crutch tip when the latter is removed from the crutch, the fastening band may be continuous and is not necessarily flexible.

The essential feature of the construction is the provision of the plurality of contacts beneath the tread portion of the tip, which to a greater or less extent are free to partake of a limited movement relative to each other and to the tread surface of the crutch tip. With this construction I find that an antislip grip is provided for crutch tips which is absolutely secure under all normal conditions of use, which does not tend to clog'with snow or dirt, and which will not harm floors or carpets when the user enters a house.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with a rubber crutch tip provided with a circular tread of an antislip device comprising a ring formed of a plurality of flexibly connected links, a chain connected to each link of the ring, and a fastening band to which the chains are connected, the chain links underneath the tread being so proportioned and the ring of such a diameter that single links of the connecting chains extend from the ring to the edge of the tread.

2. The combination with a rubber crutc tip provided with a circular tread of an antislip devicecomprising a ring formed of a plurality of flexibly connected links, a chain connected to each link of the ring, and a fastening band to which the chains are connected, the chain links underneath the tread comprising each an eye adapted to lie parallel to the tread surface and an eye adapted to stand at right angles thereto, the links also being so proportioned and the ring of such a diameter that single links of the connecting chains extend from the ring to the edge of the tread.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 2nd day of January, 1918.

THOMAS J. LE- oRAs.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

